Back in Town
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Sandwiched somewhere between his excitement over being back in New Hampshire and extremely inappropriate conversations, Paul explains to Steph just how much he cares about her. He just prefaces with a lot of ways that might not exactly spell that out. - One-shot.


"You have no idea how good it feels to be home."

"As many months as you were in Alabama?" Steph giggled as Paul keyed into his house, clearly a bit jittery. He had been so excited, when they pulled up, that he hadn't even gotten his bags out of the car. "I really don't."

"If I get in here," he said as, after unlocking the door, he pocketed the key, "and all my shit is stole or something, I'm blaming you."

"Me?"

"You're the one that I had check in on things."

"Like once a month. Your family are who you asked to come down here."

"Blaming you, babe. Get over it."

But she was giggling some more and he was just pushing the door open and then they were inside. And Paul just stood there for a few moments, after stepping in, as he took a few deep breaths and admired all that was around him.

He hadn't been there since before his quad injury. Steph was the one that went into the house and packed his stuff for him, his mother and father bringing him random things down from it when he asked as well. He'd been holed up in a hotel room in Alabama, following the surgery and into the rehab phase. Finally, Paul was nearing return to the ring and therefore was able to go home.

The only thing left was to get his body sculpted back the way he wanted, figure out when it would best for him to return story wise, and he'd be back. As much as he was hoping this would all occur as soon as possible, at the same time, he was rather glad to be back in New Hampshire for the holidays and wouldn't really mind it much if this didn't occur until the very beginning of the new year.

For a guy that traveled a lot, he'd always tried to be home as much as possible. Closer to his parents and his sister. His nephew and niece. All his friends. It was just more comfortable, that way. And being all the way in Alabama, where they'd have to make a trip to come visit him if they wished to do more than just talk over the phone, had been rather hellish.

It was lonely. Depressive. For awhile there, it wasn't even set in stone that he'd be able to return the ring. He was just supposed to heal up and hope for the best. So far away from everyone.

But…

It was over. And he'd gotten through it. And now, home once more, there was nothing Paul wanted to do more than enjoy it to the fullest. You know, before he was on the road again, for work. He'd be in the gym a lot, sure, and dieting strictly, but he'd be getting back to real life for the most part.

More natural, even, than his usual work schedule.

"I went ahead," Stephanie was saying as she came in behind him, "and stocked up your fridge and stuff for you, last week, when I stopped by here."

"Thanks, baby."

"I put clean sheets on your bed and I also-"

"Steph, I get it, you set everything up for me." When she was close enough, he pulled her to his side with a grin. "Just...let me enjoy being home for a minute, alright?"

She only stared up at him then as she giggled, "'kay."

Patting her shoulder, he said, "I wanna do so much. Things we couldn't do in the hotel."

"What couldn't we do in a hotel?"

"Obviously walk around naked."

"You could have in your room, I guess."

"Not the whole place though."

"You could. Just see a pretty hefty fine going along with it."

"I couldn't blast my music as loud as I wanted either," he went on as, letting her go, he walked further into the house. "Without, you know, an annoying call from the front desk."

"So right now you're wanting to strut around naked, blasting rock music at high volumes."

"Couldn't invite tons of people over either."

"So you're going to blast music, naked, with tons of people over?" Steph followed him into the living room, where they fell into the couch with one another. "Did you invite me over here to have an orgy?"

"Well, I mean, if it's not too much to ask. I'd imagine you have some hot friends."

"Is that what you imagine?"

"I can't invite my friends," he explained, making a face down at her. "I have to see them again eventually. Yours though? I never have any intention of meeting your friends."

"Is that why you really pulled a quad?" She poked his side. "So you didn't have to meet my friends?"

"So you'd throw me a surprise orgy, is more like it."

"You know there would be men at this orgy, right?"

"Come again?"

He was leaning to the side, against the arm of the couch, and Steph fell into him as she stared up at the man, saying then, "What? Did you think that you'd be able to service...however many women? All at once?"

"I'm no prude," he said with a snort, tossing a hand up. "You chicks can pleasure one another, while I'm busy with another one or two. Keep yourself ready."

"You're so weird."

"Hey, I might even let in a dude or two," he went on before, jerking a thumb towards himself, Paul poked at his own chest. "But I'm the king. You don't touch the king's property."

"Which would be?"

"You, obviously."

"Obviously."

"And...depending on the ratio of women, whichever ones I marked as my own." Then he paused. "Unless I ask them to touch one of them. Then they can. You know, some double teamin'?" Never one to break, Paul frowned when she started giggling into his chest. "Why are you laughin'? Pull out that nifty little cell of yours. Call up any friend that you think I'd like. We're having an orgy, baby."

"Stop it."

"No."

"You're horrible."

"She says with a giggle." He made a face. "Are we or are we not celebrating my return?"

"You haven't returned to the show yet," she said, though it was muffled, as she was still hiding in his shirt. "Babe."

"Hunter ain't, but Paul has. To his house." Grabbing the back of her neck, he none too gently forced her into staring at him. "Are you serious about this? Can you stand watching me fuck the shit outta your friends?"

"Oh yeah."

"Then get to it."

"I'm doing it."

"I'm waiting."

But they were staring at one another, her trying to fight off giggles as Paul was only able to keep his serious mood (he was a professional, after all).

"Any specifications?" She sat back then, on the couch, as she pulled her Nokia. "Babe?"

"For you to knock it off already. Shit, Steph." Reaching over, he snatched the phone from her hand. "Don't try to fucking call my bluff. I don't like it."

"I was serious."

"You were not."

"Well, neither were you."

"You were supposed to give up first though."

"I didn't get that part of the script."

He made a noise then, in the back of his throat, that wasn't quite a chuckle and wasn't really a snort. Still, he only sat her phone out of reach then, on the little table beside his couch, before saying, "My damn parents are coming tomorrow morning."

"I know."

"How far were you going to take all that?"

"Well, I knew you were joking-"

"When we both think the other is joking," he scolded, "that's how we'd end up, like, murdering our boss or something."

"My father?"

"Yeah. Let's play that game next. Who can go further in that?"

"Shut up, Paul."

Tsking, he only looked away from her as he said, "You're a dirty little whore, you know that?"

"You brought it up!"

"I swear it was you."

"Definitely wasn't."

"You kept it going."

"We both kept it going. And I'm all man over here, babe." He tapped his chest with a fist. "Of course I'd go through with that."

"You're so sexist."

"How? Huh? I was treating you and I both equal."

"In what way?" Frowning up at him, she said, "You called me your property-"

"Do I not belong to you too? I'm _your_ boyfriend, aren't I?"

"-made it pretty clear you could sleep with women-"

"That's the whole point of the thing, yeah."

"-but that I couldn't sleep with any of the guys."

"But you could sleep with the women, Steph," he insisted, nodding his head down at her. "And so could I. But neither of us we getting fucked by a man. Equal."

"You're so full of it."

"I wasn't going to be full of anything! That was the point!"

"You just got an answer for everything, don't you?"

"I try to," he nodded before, tossing an arm over the back of the couch, he bowed his head to brush it against hers. "You know how much I love being with you, don't you, baby? A lot of women would have walked out by now."

"Of this conversation? Or just on you in general?"

"Both. The first causing the other, even."

"Are you gonna have a party, at least?"

"Hmmm?"

Grinning at him, she asked, "Don't you wanna go meet up with all your friends? Or invite them over? Shoot. That's what I should have done."

"What?"

"A surprise party. Just...without the sex."

"You're alright, baby." His lips brushed her forehead that time. "I would have hated that."

"Really?"

Nodding, he said, "The sex was the only part that was going to make up for the surprise."

"Not a big surprise guy?"

"Not when it's gonna get in the way of this."

"This?" she asked, crinkling her nose.

"Me and you. Right now. Just chillin'. Talking about what a dirty whore you are, deep down."

"Shut up."

"And to think I thought I was falling in love with you."

"Oh?"

Nodding, he said, "Can't with a whore though. I'm looking for a wife, you know."

"Bullshit."

"I date and fuck to marry."

"That's a weird thing to say to someone you were cheating with."

"Coming from the woman that offered her unsuspecting boyfriend an orgy and then just snatched it away-"

"I never offered, for one, and you're the one that snatched my phone away, for two."

"Here I was, telling my parents how into you I am-"

"You have not been. Liar."

"-and you're some sorta nympho."

"A what?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know what that is."

"I don't."

"Sure, Steph. Sure."

"I'm sure Daddy would love to hear you say all these horrible things to me and teach me all these new words."

"I actually am enjoying it, yeah."

"Shut up."

The victor now, at least he felt so, Paul snickered a bit and fell silent for a good minute, letting everything simmer. He asked after this, "You gonna go put some music on? For us? And wiggle outta those clothes, babe? Get on with my soaking in of the house?"

"Why do I have to be naked?"

"Uh, because I said so."

"You're starting to irritate me."

"Then why are you getting up to undress?"

"Um, because I'm not?" Steph made a face over her shoulder at him as she got to her feet. "I'm putting on your music though. Maybe it'll make you chill."

"I'm so chill, you don't even know."

"Don't try to make yourself sound cool to save face after you totally punked out on an orgy."

"I punked what? Are you twelve? How old were you again in the nineties?"

"Shut up."

"Stop telling me to shuddup. Ain't feelin' it, babe. Why don't you shuddup?"

He had a nice stereo on the other side of the living room, and Steph loaded up the five disk changers with a different, equally as noisy band for each.

"You're about to be shut up in this house, all alone."

"You're cute." When she came back to him, radio cranked now, he only tugged her down into his lap. "Steph."

Draping an arm over his shoulders, she asked, "Even with my clothes still on?"

"Don't get me wrong here, babe; you are definitely waking up at three in the morning to find me nude on the couch, playing air guitar along with Megadeth-"

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"-but in this moment? You look damn fine."

"Oh, bull."

"You do."

"I, like, drove to the airport to pick you up," she said with a frown, "at, like, nine. Then we ate breakfast before driving here for, what is it? Six hours? Five? I look horrible."

"You look so hot with your hair up like this."

"You think so?"

She was having to turn her head a bit, to rest against his ear, so that they could each hear one another over the clashing music he loved so much. Paul enjoyed her leaning up against him, but damn, she might have loved it even more, the way that his breath was hot on her ear and his chest felt all rumbly against her arm.

They were such a perfect match.

"Hell yeah."

"Well," she sighed, curving her hand that was around his shoulders then so that she could gently tug on his hair tie, pulling it out. "I much rather yours down."

"Do you?"

"Mmmhmm." Flicking the tie away, she immediately moved to ruffle his hair with both hands then, Paul giving off the look of unimpressed, but she didn't believe it for a second. "So hot."

"I think you just look hot to me however you are."

"You're cute." She poked his nose then, one arm settling back over his shoulders. Wiggling her butt a bit, she asked, "Your leg alright? I'm not hurting you?"

"Babe, you're so light, we could have sat like this right after I pulled it." Then, looking up, as if considering this, he said, "That's what should have happened, in fact. Backstage. Instead of a pain pill, you shouldda given me a sexy little lapdance. Right in front of Vince. Made my life."

"You're nasty." Her head rested against the side of his again. "Why do you keep talking like that, so much? You pent up, baby?"

"Me?"

"You."

"Babe, I'm an alter boy. You're just misinterpreting what I'm saying. That's all."

"Since when are you an alter boy?"

"I'mma have my mother bring pictures. Me up there. On an alter. Being a boy."

"Do you even know what an alter boy is?"

Snort. "Are you kidding? I was the best alter boy."

"Don't believe it."

"You just want some pictures, don't you?"

"It'd be nice."

"Alter boy. Swear."

Nuzzling the side of her head against his, she said into his ear, "I think you're just trying to put on. Prepping for your mom."

"Mmmm. Hell yeah. That's why I was letting you act all nympho-"

"I still don't know what that is."

"College educated woman like you? You can't figure it out?"

Humming softly, she whispered in his ear, "Explain it to me."

Paul only grunt. "The fuck I look like? A professor? I'm listening to my damn music, babe. You wanna lesson, go find somewhere quiet and read a book."

But she'd turned her head then, the music muffling what he said. It had the same effect when she muttered, "Lame," at him, but he read her lips and he only shrug.

Not that she was going anywhere. Or that he was letting her up. But their talking was getting old, he decided, and it was best to end it as it was. He'd escaped disaster multiple times in the short few minutes since their arrival; no need to continue testing that.

Steph was just trying to please him. Like usual. She really enjoyed when she and Paul joked that way with one another. And yeah, sure, sometimes it ended up with her in tears and upset with him, but for the most part, it was great. For him to just put an end to it when they swere having such a good moment sucked, but at the same time, it was not only his house, but also his first time home in months. And he was choosing to spend it with her.

If it had to be on his terms, she wasn't going to bitch about it.

Plus… Stephanie did sort of attempt to keep him happy in every situation. Since the beginning of their relationship. She felt childish in this way, at times, but there was just something about him. Originally stemmed purely in the forbidden, she'd slowly learned to get caught up in his other mystiques.

Paul was older. Not by a whole lot, just seven years, but your mid twenties seemed so distant from early thirties that it could appear that way. Not to mention that, just in general, he was more mature. In every way. He didn't fly off the handle over silly things, he'd long out grown going out and getting drunk, his friends were stable, and his job was secure as hell.

Except...you know, when she the one making it the opposite.

He was just so different than most of the guys that she attracted. A lot of the boyfriends she brought home had grown up the same as she in her later years, with plenty money and privilege, just to keep Vince from breathing down her neck, while the others that she kept far away from her family were assholes who cared little for her truly, and mostly just for the fact she had a monthly allowance equal to the money they'd collect on Christmas and a birthday combined. Then, of course, there were the college guys that impressed Vince less and less as he pictured her more and more with someone that could bench as much as him, while she mostly wanted someone who could pull her drinks without worrying about fake IDs.

Paul put every single guy that fell into those categories to shame. Not to say that she didn't enjoy more than few of them, because she had. When she was a sophomore in high school, she thought she was going to marry one after three months, and one the summer before her junior year of college and into the winter of that year that she would have dropped out if he spoke of it a bit more seriously. They weren't all jerks, weren't all snobs, and hardly any weren't attractive, but Paul was just…

It was different. He was different. His entire aura. He didn't need her or what she could give him; quite the opposite, in fact. She kind of actually complicated his life, at first, long before she eased anything. If his quad injury hadn't sidelined him and he was still up there, every day, dealing with the environment that their somewhat together, somewhat not, mostly not being able to hide anything anymore, they probably would have broken up. Which would have lost him that secure job thing.

But he wanted her. Regardless. And he tried very hard to keep her with him, in some capacity. He didn't like to say it, but she had a strong feeling that he enjoyed their games too.

Sometimes he'd just like a chance to listen to some heavy metal instead.

Which was fine. Because that was another part of him that separated him from all her other boyfriends. She didn't like having stupid, silly, childish fights with him. Not really. Not after the first few, where he did not play in at all, and basically let her know that he wasn't interested in that.

Again, mature.

She might have an advantage over him at work, but it was quite the reverse outside of it. Because yeah, she was hot, and her daddy had money, but he could find a thousand other girls that were much the same. And she could find another guy, of course, but not nearly in the same position that he presented himself in. That met all that special Paul criteria from before.

All the others had just been boyfriends. Dates, at best, for a lot. But she felt something deeper with him. Sure, she was physically attracted to him, how could she not be, but the fact that it didn't end there is what made it so great.

It was feeling.

When they were riding somewhere together, out in the ring, hanging at home, listening to her father lecture them on fact they were ruining his company by being together, she constantly felt a...pull towards him. One that she hadn't before.

Love at first sight didn't exist, not in her experience, but intrigue did. And something deeper could easily be discovered based solely on that.

And it never went away. Even when he had to, for a bit, when it was decided that them being together would be too complex and they were to be strictly business, nothing more, she still… It was so dumb, but she _longed_ for him, as corny as it sounded. Even without the theatrics implied in the word, however, it was very much so true.

It didn't matter what they were doing, if they were secretly dating, forced to breakup, or even just very publicly together, she felt whole when he was near her. Even just in the same vicinity. Paul always made her comfortable. And calmed her down. She wanted to impress him and keep his interest and, clearly, he wasn't into drama, so it drained any from her immediately.

Paul made her such a better person.

Even when he was being 'lame'.

It's not like they just sat around and listened to music though. Paul's hands were rubbing at her thighs or stomach frequently and their silence was easier to cope with when they found themselves lazily making out on more than one occasion.

About twenty minutes of this, however, was enough for Steph as she gingerly got up from his lap and just left him there. Paul thought she was coming back, of course, and just needed water or something, but when ten minutes past, he pretty much knew he'd managed to bore her.

Or annoy her.

Something.

When she came back, it wasn't for him, but rather just passing through, as she just as quickly left the house. Steph came back in struggling with her bag as well as two of his and he only watched, over from the couch, knowing he should get up and help, but also slightly amused at her antics. He'd been holed up in that hotel for so long that he had quite a few, heavily packed bags. And for Steph to be trying to carry two of them, in her arms, at once, while having her own on her shoulder was very hilarious.

Not to mention, he was comfortable. It wasn't his fault she picked the moment he came so to go carry some heavy bags in.

She dropped then, in the entryway, before turning off to get the other bag no doubt and Paul only continued to lean with his head back, hanging off the back o the couch, craning it so he could continue to watch. He waved too, at Stephanie, when she came in with the bag, but she only gave him a glare before beginning to take the bags to the bedroom. Again, he allowed this to happen without interference and he wondered if the only reason Steph wasn't being bitchy about this was because she was still in 'Paul's hurt, don't bother him much' mode and if so, how long she would remain in it.

He knew not for long, but why not milk it to the end?

Music was his only company then, again, and Steph didn't return. He let the disc changer switch before he got up to go find her.

"Reading?" he grumbled as he found her in his bedroom, stretched out on the bed, doing so. "How come?"

"What else can I do?" She set the book on her chest as he came over to the bed as well, eyes drifting to where his (not so) mysteriously already unpacked bags in the corner (damn, Steph took damn good care of him) before back at her with a grin. "I can't watch TV or be on the phone or anything; your music is too loud."

It really was. They could hear it plainly, even in the back of the house, all the way from the living room. He was distanced from his neighbors, so that wasn't a concern, but apparently his girlfriend was a bit annoyed with it. Or it was disturbing her, rather.

"I'm celebrating."

"I know. It's fine."

Falling into his spot on his bed, Paul moaned deeply, just from the feeling of his own mattress against his skin. He needed more than just the comforter though and shoved it down, so that he could slip between the fresh sheets Steph had put on the bed for him, letting out another guttural noise from the coolness.

"Okay over there?"

"Just enjoyin' myself."

"Need some privacy?"

"If I's doin' that," he hummed, "I'd definitely want you to watch."

"Just watch?"

"Don't ask questions you know the answers to."

"Did you already get bored of your music?" Steph let her head lull to the side, to stare over at him. "Babe?"

"Nah. Just came to check on you."

"Then why are you burrowing under the covers? If you're just checking?"

That got something unintelligible muttered back at her to which Steph only giggled. Dog-earing the novel, she sat it to the side before moving to kick down her half to the covers as well. Paul only tugged the comforter over both their heads as he shifted closer to her, grinning in the makeshift darkness.

"The music is so much more tolerable. Under here. Muffled."

"You told me you like my music," he grumbled, as if a bit disappointed. "I've taken you to concerts, bragged up how into this shit you are-"

"I am." She was smiling just as brightly back at him. "Just not blasting me out of the living room."

"I'mma blast you outta the bed in a minute."

"At this point, you're trying too hard."

"Hard? Now you're just setting me up."

"Making it easier on you."

"If you'd just let me fuck you already, I can stop trying to make vulgar passes at you."

"Maybe if the passes weren't so vulgar-"

"You want sweet, huh? After getting my juices all flowing-"

"Oh my God, your what?"

"-with all that orgy talk, you want me to be sweet?"

"That was your talk-"

"Lies."

"-and we're getting back to that juices thing."

Paul shifted some so he could reach a hand out and tap a finger against her chin. "I could have hid under the blankets with you at a hotel, Steph. Let's do something else."

"I'm not getting off this flowing of juices."

"Blood. You got my blood flowing. Better?"

"Grosser, but sure."

"Since you won't sit and listen to music with me, naked-"

"Like that's really what you wanna do."

"-what else is there? Huh?" Paul jutted out his lip. "I'mma be home for weeks. A month. Maybe two. I'm gonna go out of my mind if I can't even find something cool to do with my girlfriend. What will I do by myself?"

"I told you we should have called up some of your friends," she pointed out. "Or just a friend. Something."

"As shocking as it is to someone like you, princess, who wants to spend every waking second with me-"

"Maybe not every one. I do like some privacy in the bathroom."

"-eventually, most people will get tired of me."

"Not you."

"I'm a bit obnoxious."

"No."

"Yes."

"It's everyone else that's the problem. Babe." Steph reached her own hand out then, pressing the tip of a finger heavily against his nose. "It's everyone else. You're perfect."

"I don't think I enjoy your tone, Stephanie."

"What do you mean?"

"Sounding a bit sarcastic to me."

"No way. Never.'

"My point was though, I'mma need some solo stuff to do. On my own. That I've missed out on while being in that hotel." He shut his eyes then. "I was so bitchy about being stuck there that I forgot it didn't matter where I was; without work, I live a pretty boring life."

"Wrestling is a bit consuming."

"Just a bit."

"You're gonna start going to the gym even more. Unnecessarily now. Just hanging around. Annoying the heck outta everyone."

"I really am."

"You're going to be even more annoying too, I bet," she went on, "with me. Before, I could just ignore your calls and pretend I had to stay in Connecticut for work if I didn't wanna see you, but now you'll just show up at my place."

"I ain't desperate."

"You're not?"

"Fuck no." His eyes opened and he stared straight at her. "You don't wanna hang out with me for a bit? That's fine. Stay in Connecticut. You think I sit around and wait for you?"

"You did in Alabama."

"I was waiting for anything in that hotel. Literally anything."

"So I'm just anything now?"

"You're annoying, actually, right now, and hurting my nose."

Her finger was still pressing into and, pressing down harder, she said, "Have you burned yourself out on reading yet? You were big on that before you started your rehabbing and got busy every day, back at the hotel."

"I'm getting bored, just from the thought."

"And you're very good at setting the deck up for solitaire now."

"You're the only moron that can't set up solitaire."

"Not to mention, I really think, now that you're back, when I'm not around, you're going to spend every night out, hanging out with people, always doing stuff. Then when I come back around, you're going to pretend like you've been holed up all day, all lonely and stuff, and only working out and are super sad and need me. Just to get sympathy from me."

"And shoulder rubs."

"You're not funny."

Finally, Paul shoved her finger off his nose before replying, "I hold court, babe. You want me to bring over my friends and show you?"

"And get started on them finding you obnoxious so early?"

"If it has to happen, might as well get it over with."

Her hand was moving then, the one he'd shoved away, to weave her fingers between his and their hands laid like that, clasped together, between them on the bed.

"You should just decide not to come back to work," she told him with a grin, his own failing. "Now that you're better, you should be my personal assistant."

"Right. A personal assistant with bulging muscles and a ponytail."

"You'd be so cute holding a clipboard, taking notes."

"Hey, what exactly do you do all day that would require an assistant anyways?"

Steph snorted. "I do many things."

"Name one."

"I don't answer to mere assistants, Levesque."

"What exactly do assistants wear, anyhow?" he asked. "And what do I have to do for you? Because now that I'm thinking about it, is there a difference between boyfriend and assistance anyhow?"

"Uh, considering you rarely do boyfriend things anyways-"

"I take you to concerts-"

"That you like to go to anyways."

"-I take you to dinner-"

"Which you'd have to eat with or without me."

"-I take you to movies-"

"We have gone to see one movie and it was horrifying and I totally was not a fan of it, didn't wanna see it, but you made me go."

"Did I buy you popcorn? Candy? A soda? Boyfriend."

"You should actually wanna be an assistant," she pointed out then. "Then I'm paying you to buy me things rather than it coming out of your own pocket."

"Do we still sleep together?"

"Duh."

"Where do I sign up for this position? And we never pinned down my attire."

"Whatever I like you, silly."

"I like that."

"How do you know you will?" she asked. "If I haven't even told you what I like you in yet?"

"Just have a good feelin', is all."

"You look best in your tight leather jacket. Bulging muscles."

"Bulging...other things."

"I told you," she scolded, "that you have to be sweet."

"Sweet, huh?"

"Mmmhmm."

"I'm not sweet, babe." But he was hot. And, shoving the quit off their heads, he took a breath of fresh air as Stephanie only shut her eyes, as if the light from the windows was bothering her. "I can't be. Not in the contract."

"I'mma tell Daddy not to resign you next extension that comes up, so I can snag you as my assistant."

Sitting up, he only stared down a her then. "You really want me to follow you around, don't you, babe? All day, every day? Doing your bidding?"

"I want you to be my bitch."

That got a deep chuckle out of the man before he said, "You're already mine. Can't swap roles."

"How am I your bitch?"

"I about got you to call your whore friends over so that you could watch me fuck them. You don't get much more of someone's bitch than that."

"I wasn't really going to do it."

"I wasn't really going to go through with it."

"Bullshit."

"Why are you cursing so much tonight?" Paul shook his head. "I'm supposed to be the one dropping bombs constantly. I'm a bad influence on you."

"And to think you're only my assistant."

"Best assistant ever."

"Are you gonna schedule me something to eat at some point? Assistant?"

"You kidding? Got you booked in the best place in town."

"Sure."

"You picked the best assistant in the world. I run New Hampshire. Tell me another celebrity from New Hampshire."

"I'm more shocked that you think you're a celebrity."

"How am I not?"

"You haven't been seen in months." Steph laid on her belly, staring up at his face. "Tides change fast. You're a nobody. Other than Stephanie McMahon's assistant."

"Not a bad gig."

"You haven't see how low the pay is just yet."

"Get to fuck you, follow you around all day, can wear my favorite shit; what's there to hate?"

"Wait, who said anything about fucking?"

"I did." And he leaned over a bit, bending down so that they could stare one another directly in the eyes. "Babe."

"Not sweet."

"I'm never gonna be. Get over it." Titled his head a certain way, he was able to rest his forehead against hers, breathing heavily through his nose in a way he knew she liked. "Especially after you say somethin' like I ain't fucking famous."

"Ain't?"

"I'm southern now. Get over it."

"Mmmm." One of her hands came up to tangle in his long hair, while Steph giggled, "You're a celebrity to me, babe."

"Am I?"

"Definitely."

"A-list?"

"Wouldn't go that far."

"Not even in your eyes?"

"Not even."

"You don't know New Hampshire then."

It was an awkward angle, when she moved her head to brush her lips against his. Just a peck for not soon after she was saying, "You never take me out in New Hampshire."

"I don't?"

"No."

"That's 'cause you're always deciding what we do."

"I never get to decide what we do."

"You always decide."

"Never."

"You completely do."

"A big strong muscular guy like you lets me dictate what we do?"

"Babe, I'm your assistant." He winked. "It's kinda in my job description. And you know I love my job."

"Do you?"

"Love it a hell of a lot, in fact. Best job I've ever had."

She was full on shifting then, moving to shove him down, hands pressing into his shoulders. And Paul fell easily, blinking up at his girlfriend, lips upturned as she pressed kiss there, nothing deep, but just sweet.

That's what she muttered against his lips and he ignored it, knowing his insistence otherwise wasn't needed any longer; he was getting what he wanted. And nothing better than the distant sounds of Pantera to punctuate the moment.

Steph wanted to shower, after, but added, "Only if you wanna go out. We don't have to. I know you're, like, on that super strict diet-"

"I'm packing on mass, babe. I can find something to eat anywhere," he assured her. "Besides, I'd take you out even if I couldn't. What do you want? Huh? Taco? Hamburger? Fries? Taco, hamburger, and fries? I got you covered."

"You're too much. Honestly."

He tried.

Paul did take her out to dinner though, later, and even though Steph tried to get him to stay out longer, they went home right after. She really thought he was putting off finding someone to hang out with on her account and that was the last thing she wanted. He kept insisting, however, that this wasn't the case.

"I want you," he mumbled in her ear when they got back home and found themselves out on his back patio, together in a chair, her curled up in his lap. "Only."

"For tonight."

"Well, tomorrow I'mma see my family. You think they're better than them?"

"No," she hummed as he nuzzled his head into her neck. "I meant that I doubt I can expect this the next time I come see you."

"Thought we already established that I'll party like crazy while you're gone and then pretend to have been a sick, lost puppy when you're here?"

"You're gonna be an ass, next week, when I come."

"How do you figure?"

"Because you're being so good and silly and sweet to me today." She scratched under his chin. The man pulled back at this, but Steph was insistent, her hand only following and scratching some more. "And we both know that you don't have much of that in you."

"I'mma be good to you tomorrow."

"In front of your mommy?"

"I'm an alter boy."

"Onto that again?"

"Never off that, babe."

"Does my alter boy still wanna do something he couldn't do in the hotel?"

"He's listening, at least."

Steph was shifting out of his lap then and Paul was a bit annoyed by this, but then he'd noticed just what she was doing and snickered.

"We did this in the hotel." He hissed playfully when she ran her hands down his thighs. "You know."

"Outside though?"

"Got me there, baby."

Her hands ran back up his thighs then, meeting int the middle where they began to tug at the zipper of his jeans. "I got you everywhere."

"You okay out here though? With…" He snickered again, that time reaching up to run a hand through his hair. "Just being out here?"

"Don't be too much of an alter boy, Paul."

He might have pressed the issue a bit, did he not know they were on his property and completely alone. It was one thing, for her to tarnish her characters image, but if he had, like, real neighbors, who were close to his house, who might see them and make assumptions about her, well, Paul wouldn't like that much.

Not to say that if Steph pressed the issue and they were somewhere that someone might take notice, he wouldn't still go through with it because, duh. Just been more alright with it no happening.

November had begun and it was cool out, but not icy yet. Still, the wind was blowing a bit that day and it disturbed the stillness that engulfed them, reminding him just where they were many times, as it blew random leaves or such to skid across the patio they were on. It added, if anything, to the realness of the situation and fuck, damn, Paul was glad that he hadn't managed to piss Steph off yet.

He was so good at pissing her off.

It was lazy too, when she sat in his lap again, eventually, when they kissed. Deep though. When Steph pulled back eventually, he found no issue with turning his attention to her neck, finding it just as enjoyable.

"You're gonna have to get out of injury mode soon, babe," he whispered softly though they were so alone, utterly by them selves, at his house, for the first time in far too long. Steph was stroking his hair as she sat tall in his lap, him bowing his head to allow this. "Gonna spoil me."

"Maybe I wanna spoil you."

"Better stop."

"Why should I?"

"It's my job for you." His lips went back to her neck as he mumbled against her flesh, "You said I don't do boyfriend things for you, Steph?"

"I was joking."

"No, you weren't. And that's okay," he assured her. "Because we couldn't do a lotta shit. I still had all that stuff going on with… And then your father… And even without, work was… But it's over. All of it. Fuck it. I don't care anymore. I've spent months away from that place. If when I don't go back, it don't want me because in my free time, I choose to be with you, then I don't need it. I don't need them."

"You don't mean that."

"I mean it more than you know."

"Paul..."

"I toyed around with you for months. Now I've been serious for months. And both times, I knew, deep down, that we got something. We mean something. To one another. I care about you. I meant every damn thing I said, Steph, when I was lonely and by myself, in the hotel room. We could have broken up, but we didn't. I needed you. I wasn't using you. I wanted you."

"I never said you didn't."

"I know, but… I'mma be your boyfriend now. Your real, serious, boyfriend."

"You have been for months."

"Not in a way that I could show anyone." Resting his head against her shoulder, he said, "We're gonna go out. Every time you come down."

"You're gonna be busy."

"Don't care." Then he hummed. "Gonna introduce you to all my friends. Tell 'em that you're my hot, young, loaded girlfriend. You say I don't take you to movies? I'll take you to any movie you want. You want dinner? I'll take you to dinner. Go to a park? Act all romantic and shit? I can do that."

"I won't ever want you to be romantic while taking a shit, no."

But he was ignoring her then, refusing for a moment to allow her to make the conversation diverge. Continuing, he said, "I'mma show you all over New Hampshire. Because, like I told you, I run this place. Swear."

"Maybe your hometown-"

"By far."

"-but the whole state is a bit much."

"Fine." He kissed her shoulder blade then. "Just the northern half of it."

"You're stupid."

"I'm in love with you."

He said it so plainly that she stopped toying with his fingers as she had been for the past few minutes and titled her head to the side, so that their eyes could lock.

"I'm serious," he repeated as she made that face that he liked to think only he could get out of her. A mixture of bashfulness and outright embarrassment as she shrugged her shoulders up a bit, just sitting, listening. Not speaking. That was okay though, because he wasn't done. Still staring right back, he said, "And I'm not afraid to say it. These few months and the ones before are just… If I'd never messed around with you and was still in the same situation I was when I met you, those months in that hotel would have been hell. I can't imagine going through them without you. I mean, I'dda done it, but definitely wouldn't have been so easy."

She let go of his hand completely then, to reach up with her own and rub at the rough hairs trimmed along his jawline, beaming shyly as she said, "You really are you being way too sweet."

"I'm not being sweet, Steph." At all. Keeping his eyes on hers as he lifted his head, allowing her hand to roam easier then along his jaw, he said, "I'm being honest. And I've been being that with you since my injury and want to keep it up. I want to be a way better boyfriend to you than I ever was any of the others before you. I'mma try really hard at it too. Even when I go back to work. Everyone else be damned. If we can make it work when I'm in a hotel and you're out traveling the country, I can make it work with your father and the locker room breathing down my neck. I love you too much to not try."

Steph shifted then, hunkering down some so that she could hide her face in his neck, cheeks flaming as she whispered, "I love you too."

"I know." Done with all that now, he patted her rather roughly on the head. Then, with a grin, he said, "You about ready to get back to doing what we couldn't in the hotel?'

"Give me a minute."

"Half of one," he promised, though he was moving then, gathering her up in his arms as he got to his feet. Steph didn't like for him to pick her up, not since he first got his brace off, but it was something he enjoyed doing and frequently assured her that he lifted far more in the gym. Still, something told her that if he was doing so when he injured himself again, keeping him out of the ring longer, her father might disown her. But Paul loved the feeling of her there and, smiling down at the woman in the crisp air of the evening, he said, "Think I got a favor to return, don't I?"

"No." She kept her face in his neck. "It wasn't a favor. I wanted to."

"Then I wanna do this. How you like that?"

"Mmmm. Give me a minute to decide."

"I better get started th- What?" he cut himself off as, when he stumbled over to the patio table to set her down, Steph let out a noise of complaint. Chuckling, he said, "It's my turn."

"Out here?"

"You sure had no problem doing it to me without warning."

"Yeah, but-"

"If you wanna go inside," he sighed as he moved to gather her into his arms once more, "then we can. Wrap your arm around my neck and-"

"No, wait." She was grabbing his arm instead, holding him there as she grinned up at him. "Just… Try not to be horrible this time, alright?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"You're asking for it."

Steph watched as the man got down on his knees before the table, wagging his eyes brows at her before tugging at her shorts, no doubt wanting her to shove a bit to help with this. Doing so, she leaned back a bit and only sighed, "Not in so many words."

She slept that night rather well, in his bed, wearing one of his shirts and nothing else. Paul slept with her for a bit, but when she heard some music playing in another part of the house, around around three in the morning, Steph only shoved her head under one of the pillows and prayed he wasn't actually naked. Just the thought of his bare butt on his nice, sleek couch made her head hurt.

And yes, this is coming from a woman who sat with her bare ass on his patio table outside. The connections do not exist.

The next time she was truly awake, it was to a shove on the shoulder and, "Hey, Steph, you gotta get up. Parents are here."

"Here?"

"Here. For, like, half an hour."

"What?"

Paul nodded as she tilted her head up to blink at him while he stood beside the bed. "We're about to go to breakfast."

"Oh." Her head fell. "Alone?"

"With you."

"You don't wanna spend time with your parents?"

"Of course. With you there too."

"But I'd have to shower."

"Then you better hurry, huh?" Flicking her in the head, he added, "Mom said if we don't go out soon, we can just have coffee out on the patio and well-"

"I'm coming," she grumbled, shoving up.

"I remember," he pretended to grumble right back. "And how did you not wake up when they rung the doorbell?"

"Exhaustion."

"Poor Steph."

"I feel so."

"If you want me to tell them that you're bailing on breakfast-"

"I didn't say that." Finally, she was pushing out of the bed. "Just give me ten, huh?"

"I'll give you five."

"Paul-"

"Hurry up, babe." He grinned as she scrambled over to where her bag sat in the corner, digging through it. Slipping his hands into his pockets, the man said, "My parents will think you're dead up here or something and I'm hiding your body."

"Why...is that the first place your mind… Never mind."

"That's something I couldn't do in a hotel. Get away with your murder."

"You can't here either."

"Got a better shot."

"My daddy would make sure you got shot, the second I came up missing."

Something in the way she said that should have made his grin falter, but instead it only grew as he said, "Well, my daddy and mommy have been briefed about needing to inform you what an alter boy I am, so hurry things along, huh?"

As if on cue, they could hear his mother than, calling out to him, to see if everything was alright. And as he volleyed back over his shoulder that Steph was just stepping into the shower, he approached the woman in question so that he could press a kiss to her forehead.

"Don't take long," he warned as she took a step back to head into the adjoining bathroom. "The second day of Paul is Home celebratory festivities is starting soon. And if you thought the first day was good-"

"Is that what we're calling it?"

"-wait for today. All my sweetness has been zapped and cured, my mother's here so therefore my interest in you has dwindled a bit, and I'm tired as fuck, so I will snap at you at least once."

"All the best parts of having a boyfriend wrapped into one."

"I still love you," he added as she shut the door behind her while he headed towards the other one, leading out of the room. "If that's any consolation."

Oh, it wouldn't be. If any of that were true. But hearing that helped anyways.

It would help always.

* * *

 **Oy, still working on some requested fics and gonna start the next chapter of In Sickness soon. This complete random garbage just came to me and here we are. Someone reviewed Fortieth as a guest and asked what story Paul was referring to during it and, since that was a one-shot, I figured I'd address it here. It was Wife of Bath, this horrible little shit from the horrible long shit that is the Canterbury Tales. I'm sure it's online if you wanna read it.**


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